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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Velvet Ant

6 legged fuzzy backed beetle
Wed, Jul 1, 2009 at 7:05 PM
I am in Bakersfield, California and was bitten while feeding my horses by this 6 legged fuzzy beetle. It crawled into my shoe and bit through my sock. Very painful like a wasp sting. The area is by a river that is dry and lots of empty scrubland.
Can you identify him from these scans of him? He was not very cooperative and was difficult to make him stand still. I will now extract my revenge and feed his happy little self to some chickens. Thanks for your time.
Michael Beilby
Bakersfiel, California

Velvet Ant

Velvet Ant

Hi Michael,
We just drove through Bakersfield on the way back from Mendocino, and it was a scorcher.  This is a Velvet Ant, a flightless female wasp, which would explain why her “bite” felt like a wasp sting.  It actually was a wasp sting.  We believe this is Dasymutilla sackenii based on images posted to BugGuide. Non-stinging males of the species, indeed of the entire family Mutilidae, have wings and resemble other wasps.

Velvet Ant

Velvet Ant

Posted 02 July 2009 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Velvet Ant

Double red headed bug?
Tue, Jan 20, 2009 at 12:23 PM
Hi,
I was mineral hounding in southern california a few days ago and found this bug(?) underneath a stone. Although the picture isn`t good, you can recognize its kind of fluffy red head, the antennae and the six legs. The the size was just below an inch.
Thank you for your help
Patrick
Riverside, California

Velvet Ant

Velvet Ant

Hi Patrick,
Your photo is blurry, and we are far from experts in the genus Dasymutilla, the Velvet Ants.  Female Velvet Ants are flightless wasps that can sting painfully.  The harmless male wasps have wings.  If we were to hazard a guess, we would saty that this is Dasymutilla aureola pacifica based on images posted to BugGuide.

Posted 20 January 2009 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Cow Killer

Weird beetle or ant I have never seen before
Thu, Dec 4, 2008 at 1:31 PM
We were vacationing in the mountains of North Carolina and found this beetle looking thing. It was very fast and we found it on 2 different occasions during the same trip. Both were around 11:00 am or so. If you can’t help identify that is ok, I was just really curious what it might have been is all.
Thanks!!
Jamie of Michigan
Franklin, North Carolina

Cow Killer

Cow Killer

Hi Jamie,
Your discovery is known as a Cow Killer because of its painful sting.  Cow Killers, Dasymutilla occidentalis, are a species of Velvet Ant and Velvet Ants are actually flightless female wasps.

Posted 05 December 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Velvet Ant

Black insect with fuzzy redish orange abdomen
Wed, Nov 26, 2008 at 5:30 PM
Found in Peoria, Arizona in November. A solid looking 1 1/4 inch long and maybe a 1/2 inch wide insect, deep black with a vibrant redish-orange fuzzy abdomen. No wings & very busy walking around looking for something. If you were going to draw this critter, you would use a sharpie due to its solid features.
The Nicoloffs
Peoria, AZ (out in the desert)

Velvet Ant

Velvet Ant

Dear Nicoloffs,
This is a Velvet Ant, one of a colorful group of wasps in the family Mutillidae. Male Velvet Ants have wings, but females are flightless and resemble colorful hairy ants. Only the female is capable of stinging, and the sting of several species is quite painful. We believe, based on images posted to BugGuide that your Velvet Ant is Dasymutilla magnifica, but the photo is so blurry, it is impossible to be certain.

Posted 27 November 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Cow Killer

Velvet Ant
Hi. I am quite squeamish about some bugs but fascinated with others and am enjoying your page! We found this little beauty in the garage after my 3 year old daughter said “Look Mommy! A Ladybug Ant!” We caught her snapped a few pictures then released her out by the trees.
Thanks!
NE Arkansas

Cow Killer

Cow Killer

Your Velvet Ant is actually a flightless female wasp.  Because of her painful sting, she also goes by the common name of Cow Killer.

Posted 26 September 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Velvet Ant

Timulla grotei
Finally! After you helped me identify the species of velvet ant that stung me one summer despite my poor photo, it has been my mission in life to get a better quality photo of Timulla grotei if you should want it. After many failed attempts at phographing this fast-moving wasp, I finally got a lady who was relatively still for my camera. She didn’t smile and insisted on waving those antennae, but here she is… and no stings this time.
Heather

Hi Heather,
While we are impressed with your determination, and honored that you felt it was important enough to provide What’s That Bug? with a sharper image, we think you have set too low a goal for your life’s mission. Now that this milestone has been accomplished, we are confident you will accomplish truly great things. Thanks again for providing us with a clear image of Timulla grotei from Tennessee.

Posted 21 July 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Male Velvet Ant

male cowkiller
I could not find out what this was until I reached your site. Thank you. I’m afraid the guy was dead when I found him, but no one else knew he was special. He’s going into my "When I Met You, You were Already Dead" collection!
kim smith
mcdonough, GA

Hi Kim,
While this is certainly a male Velvet Ant, it might be a species other than a Cowkiller. We are not certain. We love your “When I Met You, You were Already Dead” collection.

Posted 18 July 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Cow Killer: Handle with Care!!!

Thought you might like this
I’ve attached a picture that we took of a "Cow-killer", aka "Velvet ant". Thought you might like it.
Stefan Bowers

hi Stefan,
We will happily post your photo, but we need to caution our readers not to mishandle this female Velvet Wasp as she can deliver a painful sting if provoked.

Posted 15 June 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Velvet Ant

I’m stumped
Hello,
I found your cool site on the web, but a cursory search of a few of the categories did not turn up anything. Can you help me to identify this guy?: Location: Henry Coe SP, Northern California
About 1 cm long red on both ends, with black in the middle furry moves pretty quickly Thanks!
Chris

Hi Chris,
This is a Velvet Ant, a flightless female wasp with a painful sting. We haven’t the time to research the exact species at the moment.

Posted 16 April 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Unknown Velvet Ant from Arizona

Velvet ant
Greetings, I am having trouble with the identification of this velvet ant. It loves to have a little mist along with it’s fruit nectar. So as you scroll down the hair gets drier in each photo. I believe it to be in the Dasymutilla family but can’t key it out with the books that I have at my disposal. Your help with the identification would be greatly appreciated. Neat little gal. Thanks for your help and great web site, sincerely,
Jerry Schudda
Tucson, Arizona

Hi Jerry,
We could not find a convincing match for your Velvet Ant on the BugGuide pages, though Dasymutilla coccineohirta looks close. Perhaps Eric Eaton will be able to assist us.

Update: (04/02/2008) ID for insects
Hey, my name is Will, this is a list of the ID’s for the velvet ant page. image 1. dasymutilla coccineohirta. hope this helps a bit.

Posted 01 April 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Male Velvet Ant

what’s this hymenopteran?
Hi,
Can you tell me what this insect is? Missing a hindwing. I found it in Osoyoos, BC, Canada. Thanks,
Mikel Lefler

Hi Mikel,
Velvet Ants are flightless female wasps in the family Mutillidae. The males have wings. This is a male Velvet Ant. We cannot tell you the exact species, but it bears an uncanny resemblance to a mounted male Dasymutilla quadrigutta pictured on BugGuide.

Update: (04/02/2008) ID for insects
Hey, my name is Will, this is a list of the ID’s for the velvet ant page. image 2. probably dasymutilla vesta, need more specific location. hope this helps a bit.

Posted 03 January 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Two Different Velvet Ants

Large red ant This time, with photo!
Hi
I found this ant crawling through my hallway and have tried unsuccessfully to identify it. Can you help? It is about 1/2 inch long. I thought it might be some type of carpenter ant; they are pretty common around here. This little guy has a very distinctive white stripe around his abdomen, though, and I couldn’t find anything similar in my bug books or online. Thank you!
Mandy
Cedar Hill, TX
p.s.: Sorry, I forgot to attach the photo the first time

Hi Mandy,
Though it looks like an ant, and is called a Velvet Ant, your insect is a flightless female wasp. Be careful, as she can deliver a very painful sting.

(12/08/2007) Large red ant
I’m sorry, but I don’t think so. I know what velvet ants look like, I have had them in my yard. (see attached photo) I know they are actually wingless wasps. They are much bigger, and much hairier than this bug. This guy is large for an ant, but only 1/2 inch. I know it looks large in the picture, but I had a hard time putting something next it for size contrast since it wouldn’t be still.
Mandy

Hi again Mandy,
We gave you a very general answer. Velvet Ants are a family of wasps, the females of which are generally brightly colored and flightless. The family is Mutillidae. Your original image might be in the genus Timulla, or the genus Pseudomethoca, or perhaps some other genus. We are not sure of the species. Your second photo is also a Velvet Ant, and this one is in the genus Dasymutilla. It appears to be a Cow Killer, Dasymutilla occidentalis, but the photo is too blurry to be certain. So both of your images are of Velvet Ants, but they are different species.

Update: (04/02/2008) ID for insects
Hey, my name is Will, this is a list of the ID’s for the velvet ant page. 3. sphaeropthalma pensylvanica.
image 4. could be either dasymutilla californica, coccineohirta, or vestita depending on local. hope this helps a bit. hope this helps a bit.

Posted 07 December 2007 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Male Velvet Ant

Male velvet ant?
Hi,
I love spotting the occasional red velvet ant on my weekly Soberanes trail hike (about 10 mi. south of Carmel, CA), and recently saw one for the first time with wings (but couldn’t get my camera out before it disappeared). I’ve since learned the winged ones are males. The attached photo was taken at the Elkhorn Slough Nature Preserve (near Moss Landing, CA) on the afternoon of Oct. 28, 2007. This time I had time to get some shots. He was moving fast, and this was the only halfway decent one of the 8 or so I took.
Kevin

Hi Kevin,
This is indeed a male Velvet Ant, but we are not certain what species. Perhaps it is Dasymutilla coccineohirta.

Update: (04/02/2008) ID for insects
Hey, my name is Will, this is a list of the ID’s for the velvet ant page. image 5. Dasymutilla aureola. hope this helps a bit.

Posted 05 November 2007 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Velvet Ant

hairy insect
Hi there Bug folks!
I searched all over your website for a hairy insect like this one and didn’t see it anywhere. I found it at the top of a small mountain just yesterday (Sept 10th) in the Bay Area in California. It looks like a huge ant that needs a haircut! Please help me identify this bug. Love your website, this is my 2nd submission! Thanks,
Lyndie

Hi Lyndie,
What a wonderful photo of a Velvet Ant, Dasymutilla sackenii, a flightless female wasp with a painful sting.

Posted 10 September 2007 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Velvet Ant

some sort of furry ant
Saw this bug in Bend, OR. Is it a type of ant? What is it called?
Lisa Ray

Hi Lisa,
This is a Velvet Ant, a flightless female wasp. We believe it might be Dasymutilla sackenii. It ranges from Baja to Oregon and is white in the southern portion of its range and more golden in the northern portion of its range.

Posted 31 July 2007 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Cowkiller: Male of the Species

Red Velvet Ant
Found these males leaving a hole in my garden floor.
Rick

Hi Rick,
We rarely get images of the male Cowkiller.

I did not give much information with the pictures. I live in Alexandria, Al. The pictures were taken July 25, 2007 around 1600 hrs. (4:00 PM). Yesterday, July 26, 2 females were in the grass near my garden. They move so fast it was hard to get a good picture. I will try to look at the ones I got this afternoon. I’ll gladly send them to you if you are interested.

Posted 25 July 2007 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Cow Killer

Red Velvet Ant
I was looking online for what this awesome looking insect was called. I love ants and it looks like one but behaved like a wasp. It would move quickly with the abdomen upright. I saw everyones pictures and sure now that this is what it is. It was difficult to photograph because of its irratic movements.
Daniel

Hi Daniel,
Your Velvet Ant is a Cow Killer, Dasymutilla occidentalis. Obviously, the quality of your photographs must rise with the level of difficulty, since the detail on your photograph is awesome.

Posted 21 July 2007 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Velvet Ant

Arizona insect
I was recently in Arizona and while in the Flagstaff area I came across this bug and was wondering if you could help me identify it. I have tried looking online but can ‘t find anything like it. Thank you for your time,
Dawn Webb

Hi Dawn,
This is a flightless female wasp known as a Velvet Ant. We believe it is Dasymutilla klugii based on an image on BugGuide.

Update: (04/02/2008) ID for insects
Hey, my name is Will, this is a list of the ID’s for the velvet ant page. image 10. Dasymutilla Magnifica, klugii is more restricted to Texas. hope this helps a bit.

Posted 19 July 2007 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Velvet Ant

What is it?
Hello!
I was playing with my toddler in the living room, and this little guy stung me on the hand. I haven’t been able to identify him, and wondered if you could help? We live in Middle Tennessee. I didn’t see it at first, but felt a sudden burning sensation in my hand. A short investigation revealed this critter under a sofa pillow. It’s behavior reminds me of a wasp though there are no wings. It actually moves much like a velvet ant we saw a few weeks ago, but isn’t as large nor as brilliantly colored. The abdomen is yellow and black striped with a red head and thorax. I apologize for the graininess of the pictures! Thanks!
H Davis

Hi H.,
This is most definitely a Velvet Ant which explains the Wasp-like behavior. We cannot determine the species, or even the genus, since the quality of the image is not real sharp. Our first inclination is that it might be in the genus Timulla, but it even resembles some members of the genus Dasymutilla.

Update: (04/02/2008) ID for insects
Hey, my name is Will, this is a list of the ID’s for the velvet ant page. image 11. is definitely Timulla. hope this helps a bit.

Update: Velvet Ant
(07/21/2008) Timulla grotei
Finally! After you helped me identify the species of velvet ant that stung me one summer despite my poor photo, it has been my mission in life to get a better quality photo of Timulla grotei if you should want it. After many failed attempts at phographing this fast-moving wasp, I finally got a lady who was relatively still for my camera. She didn’t smile and insisted on waving those antennae, but here she is… and no stings this time.
Heather

Hi Heather,
While we are impressed with your determination, and honored that you felt it was important enough to provide What’s That Bug? with a sharper image, we think you have set too low a goal for your life’s mission. Now that this milestone has been accomplished, we are confident you will accomplish truly great things. Thanks again for providing us with a clear image of Timulla grotei from Tennessee.

Posted 16 July 2007 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Male Velvet Ant

Red Velvet Wasp with Wings?
I saw this on my porch and it scared me to death. The coloring matches the Red Velvet Wasp but isn’t it supposed to be wingless?

Hi Melanie,
Male Velvet Ants are winged and females are flightless. This is a male Cow Killer, Dasymutilla occidentalis.

Posted 03 July 2007 § ‡ Comments (0) °